eickershoff



Lb e e P.. nr. O H S R ,E K .C Tl. E E J..

(No Model.)

j ENGINE.

Patented July 1'1, 1893.

fm dag.

(No 11101161.) 3 shee1s-snee1 2. J'. H. EICKERSHOFP. ENGINE.

110.501,224. Patented Ju1y 11, 189s.

#fw/f 6 f f. M f

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. H. EICKBRSHOPP.

' ENGINE.

HHH

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. EICKERSHOFF, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATES ENGINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ENGINE.

,.PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,224, dated July 11, 1893.

I Application filed February 4, 1893. Serial No. 461,058. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. EIcKERsHoFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to continuous cylinder engines,but some of its features are applicable to other type of engines.

The primary object of my invention is to produce an improved engine of the continuous cylinder type, which, while possessing all the advantages incident to this general method ot' construction, may be operated as an automatic or as a reversible engine at will and operate equally well in both directions.

My invention consists in means for balancing the pressure on the resistance plates to relieve them from pressure against their seats or bearings at the moment they are to be actuated; in improved means for actuating the distribution valves; in a construction and arrangement of parts whereby the engine may be reversed by changing the relative position of a single bearing; in provisions forautomatic adjustment of the distribution valves and au'- tomatic reversal of the engine, and in the parts and construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

My invention may be embodied in simple' or compound in expansion or non expansion engines having one or more pistons, and one Vor more resistance plates.

In the drawings: Figure l is a top view of a compound engine embodying my invention, one half being shown in section on the lines l-l of Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 2. is an end view of the same. Fig. 3. is a vertical section through the high and low pressure cylinder on line 2-2 of Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4. is alongitudinal vertical section through the high tion through the distribution valve chambers on line 6--6 of Fig. 1, showing the governor, the distribution valves and the operating mechanism. Fig. 9. is a longitudinal section upon the same line as that of Fig. 8 .but showing the valves in reverse position and omitting the gwernor. Fig. l0. is an enlarged side view of the governor connection with the cut-oit mechanism. Fig. 11. is a horizontal section through the mechanism shown in Fig. l0. Fig. 12.is a detail showing one means for adjusting the position of the distribution valves.

Referring now to the drawings, in which I have selected for illustration a two cylinder compound engine, Adesignates the high pressure cylinder and A the low pressure cylinder. Both cylinders are made of sections and provided at their points of contact with flanges by means of which, they are bolted together; the sections are also provided with hubs b which take over the main shaft B but leave the latter free to revolve therein.

C C are the piston carrying plates, keyed to the shaft and revolving in the space between the cylinder sections, and each carrying a pair of pistons c and cf corresponding in cross section to the interior of the cylinders. The pistons are provided ,with selfacting packings to prevent any blowing through of steam. To avoid leakage of steam from the cylinder, between the revolving piston carrying plate C and the cylinder sections, I have provided on each face of the plate C, near the periphery, a packing which operates by the steam pressure itself Aand is secured by Wedges and set screws as most clearly shown in Figs. 6 and '7.

In the shank portion of each of the cylinder sections, near the piston chamber, is an annular groove d adapted to receive a ring d composed of segments, which are jointed with each other by being overlapped or interlocked. Each segment has at its outside periphery cross grooves d2 corresponding with similar grooves d3 in the cylinder sections, which, when brought together, form openings for wedges d4 having set screws d5. Back of the groove d are socket holes arranged at suitable intervals, at least one to eachsegment, and adapted to receive spiral springs d, the

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tension of which may be regulated by set screws cZT. The segments CZ and the grooves (Z are scraped on the inside periphery, so that when `united by the pressure of the wedges they make a steam tight joint. The wedges d4 are tapered at the outside periphery, so that the segments are between two parallel surfaces, between which they may move in the direction toward the revolving plate C. The spiral springs d and the set screws (Z7 are merely for the purpose of holding the segments against the circular' plate C when no steam is at the engine. It will be seen, that the steam from the cylinder gets between the piston carrying plates and the cylinder sections and, through groove (Z8, between the segments d and the back of groove CZ, being confined there, because the segments have on this inside periphery a steam tight joint, and forcing the segments against the piston plate C, with substantially the same pressure which is in the cylinder thereby making a perfect steam joint. The grooves Z3 with wedges d4 prevent the segments from following the revolving piston plate.

Each cylinder has a pair of retractible resistance plates D adapted, to, divide the annular cylinder into compartments and to be withdrawn or retracted as the pistons approach them. The plates D, which may be seated and guided in grooves of the cylinder sections, preferably extend diagonally across the cylinder so that the packing rings of the pistons will not be opposite the entire groove at the same time, thereby preventing the rings from slipping into the grooves.

Each slide is connected by links e to crank arms e mounted upon suitable rock shafts E. I prefer to iuclose the links and crank arms in suitable housings f. This arrangement permits the slides to lie perfectly against their seats and insures a practically steam tight joint by the steam pressure upon the slides, as no binding or twisting can occur. Upon rock shaft E are mounted arms or levers f which are connected with each other, by rod f2. A cam F, for the operation of the resistance plates, is mounted upon main shaft B. A lever or pendulum G is pivoted at g and carries near its middle a roller g. At the lower end, the lever is connected by link g2 to connecting rod f2. A lever arm f3 is also mounted upon rock shaft E and carries a dash pot f4. The dash pot f4 is for the purpose of closing the resistance plates after they are released by cam F. I have made the shape, in cross section, of the low pressure cylinder different from that of the high pressure, so that both resistance plates may have the same movement and be operated from the same rock shaft.

H and I are distribution piston valves mounted in a direct line opposite each other and rigidly connected with each other, so that they act as one valve. These valves are operated by the cam J, yoke k, the valve rods vferent positions ot' the piston c.

Z, Z', Z2, the link Z3 the rocker-arm Z4, the connecting rod Z5 and the dash pot Z6.

7L', h2, and i', 2 are steam ports, connecting the high pressure cylinder compartments.'

h3, h4 and i3, 4, are steam ports connecting the low pressure cylinder' compartments.

M is the main steam pipe from the boiler.

h5 and 5, are the steam inlet ports to the valve chambers.

71., 7L7 and t5, Z7 are exhaust ports from the valve chamber, combined in one main exhaust pipe L.

A governor N is connected by levers and slide rod 7c to lever 71:.

m and m are slide bearings or guides for the governor rod 7c. p

P is a slide for the support of yoke 7c.

Level' 7c is fastened to cog wheel n, which latter is loosely mounted upon bolt n'. A second cog wheel n2, somewhat smaller than the fjrst, is keyed to an eccentric 'n.3 which carries a roller n4. The connection of the governor rod 7c with lever k is made by abolt fastened into lever Za and sliding in a slot in rod 7c in order that the normal reciprocation of the valves, may not effect the operation of the governor but permitting the operation of the valves to be effected by the action of the governor.

The action of the governor upon the valves H and I will be seen, by referring to Fig. 8 in which the dotted lines show the governor balls in thehigher position. Lever 7c and eccentric n3 will then be in the position indicated by dotted lines. The connection between the eccentric, the governor lever and the valves is such that a smaller amount of steam is admitted to the cylinder when the parts are in the position shown by the dotted lines and that a larger amount is admitted, when the governor balls are lowered. The cam .I has at its periphery j, projectionsjj2, of different height; for thepurpose more fully described hereinafter.

I have shown in Fig. 5 in dotted lines dif- Position c4 is about the point of cutting off live steam; position C8 is about the point for the beginning of the compression and position c2 the point where the resistance plates commence closing.

The operation is as follows: The resistance plates being in their operative position, steam being admitted from steam pipe M (Fig. 8.) through ports h5 and h to the lower compartment of the high pressure cylinder A, forces the resistance plates against their seats and drives the piston c in the direction indicated by arrows. The live steam is cut off at the port 72,5 by the edge o of the piston valve II, when the projection .7", of cam J reaches and actuates roller n4. The steam is expanding in the cylinder as long as roller n4 is on the projectionj and till the projection y2 reaches and actuates roller n4. During the admission and expansion of steam in the high pressure cylinder, the steam, which has previously actuated the same, but in the other lcompartment, being now in front of 'piston c', between same and resistance slideD, has been expanding through ports h2 and h3 to one compartment of the low pressure cylinder A and driv-Y ing the piston in said compartment in the same direction as the one in the high pressure cylinder. The edges o and o2 of thepiston valve cover the ports h3 and h4 as soon as pro- ;)ection 72 reaches and actuates roller n4 and the steam remaining in both cylinders in front slides are quickly closed by the action of dash pot f4, and the distribution valves are again ready for. admission of steam. The operation of piston valve I is identical with that of II; except, that the steam is admitted to the upper compartments and exhausted from the lower compartments of the cylinder, as they appear in the drawingsf. When desired the copnection of the governor to roller n4 may be such that the engine will receive counter steam or be reversed, when the load is suddenly removed by accident or otherwise. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 9; wherethe eccentric n3 and roller n4 are shown in positions opposite to those shown in Fig. 8. When in this position the live steam port Ah5 is Aconnected through h2 to the high pressure cylinder and the ports h and h4 from the high to low pressure, and hS'with hl from which is the exhaust from the low pressure cylinder, and the operation'is the reverse of that shown in Fig. 8.

It will be seen, that the cam J works. per! fectly in both directions and that the lpro- Jectlon J2, serving in Fig. 8 for compression,

v serves in Fig. 9 for the admission of steam and the periphery j', serving in Fig. 8 for the admission of steam, servesin Fig. 9 for the compression of steam in the cylinders. l

. In Fig. 12 I. have shown a roller rmounted 1n a sliding bearingin yoke k and connectedI by a link to a lever s by means of which its position in the -bearing may be adjusted. The lever may be locked in position by any convenient means. in place of the eccentric n3 and,` rollerfn4 shown in Figs. 10 and 1l.

In my application, Serial No.'448,272, filed October 8, 1892*, and allowed MarchQS, 1893,`

A ing the pressure upon .the resistance plates,

I have described and claimed:

In a steam engine, a continuouscylinder having a slot in its periphery; a plate mount.-A ed upon the shaft taking into the slot and carrying a pair of pistons; a pair of resistance slides taking diagonally across the section of This roller may be used.l

the cylinder, and balanced piston valves controlling the distribution of steam.

Y Ina steam engine a lcontinuous cylinder having a'slot in its periphery; a plate mounted uponthe shaft, taking intothe slotand carrying a pair ofpistons, a pair of self-seating resistance slides and linkconnection be`V tween the parts of the slides and the operating mechanism, and balanced piston valves controlling the admission and exhaust of steam. s

In a steam engine acontinuous cylinder having a slot in its periphery; a plate mounted upon the shaft taking into the slot and carrying a pairof pistons; a pair of resistance slides taking diagonally across the cylinder;

a rockshaft operated fromthe main shaft.,

levers and links connecting ,the rock shaft land the resistance slides and steam tight housings inclosing the bearings for the rockv shat`t,lthe resistance slides, the link's and the levers. l

In a compound engine two continuous cyl-Y inders having slots in their peripheries; plates mounted upon the shafts taking into the slots, and each carryinga pair of pistons; za pair of resistance slides taking diagonally vacross. the cylinders, and balanced piston` valves each controlling the admission of steam to the two cylinders and the Aexhaust therefrom.

Ina compound engine two continuous cyl. inders having slots in their peri pheries, plates mounted upon .the shafts, taking into the slots ande'ach carryinga pair of pistons; a pair of roo resistance slides in each of the cylinders talring diagonally across the cylinder, and balanced piston valves each controlling the admission, expansion and exhaust of steam.

In aste-am engine a continuous cylinder having a slotin its periphery, a plate mounted upon the shaft, taking into the slot and carrying a pair of pistons mounted opposite each other a pair of resistance slides taking diago- -nally across the cylinder and mounted 'opposite each oth er.

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whilel havedescribed my invention as i embodied in atwocylinder compound engine with continuous cylinders, I do ynot wish l to be understood as confining myself` .to that construction. invention to steam alone, as it is equally applicable to the use ofliquids or gases under pressure. s .Y Y

I claim as my invention-.

I. In an engine th combination of a con- "i Nor do I wish to confine my,l

tinuous cylinder,none or more pistons adapted l.

to travel therein, one :or more retractible re-x Y sistance plates, an exhaust normally open and means for closing the exhaust as the 4piston approaches a resistance plate thereby balancsubstantially as set forth. s f v. Y

2.`The combination, in an engine, ofdisthe cam having one face adapted to hold the valves in position for the admission of steam, a second adapted to hold them in place for the expansion and exhaust of steam, and a third adapted to hold them in position to shut olf the exhaust, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in an engine, of distribution valves; a shaft; a cam revolving therewith having one face adapted to hold the valves in position for the admission of steam, a second adapted to hold them in place for the expansion and exhaust of steam and a third adapted to hold them in position to shut off the exhaust, and a yoke connecting the distribution valves and adapted to be actuated by the cam, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, in an engine, of dis tribution valves; a shaft; a cam revolving therewith having one face adapted to hold the valves in position for the admission of steam, a second adapted to hold them in place for the expansion and exhaust of steam and a third adapted to hold them in position to shut oi the exhaust; a yoke connecting the distribution valves, embracing and adapted to be actuated by the cam; and a guidefor the yoke, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

5. The combination, in an engine, of distribution valves; a shaft; a yoke revolving therewith having one face adapted to hold the valves in position for the admission of steam, a second adapted to hold them in place for the expansion and exhaust of steam and a third adapted to hold them in position to shut olf the exhaust; a yoke connecting the distribution valves and adapted to be actuated by the cam; a movable bearing mounted on the yoke and adapted to engage with the cam and means for adjusting the position of the bearing, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

6. The combination, in an engine, of distribution valves; a shaft; a cam; a sliding yoke connecting the distribution valves; a movable bearing mounted on the yoke and adapted to engage the cam; a governor and a connection between the governor and the movable bearing whereby the position of the bearing and the distribution valve may be controlled bythe governor, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination, in an engine, of distribution valves; a connection between the valves; a cam adapted to actuate the valves a movable bearing adapted to engage with the cam; a lever adapted to adjust the posi tion of the bearing; a governor; a connecting rod from the governor, and a slotted connection between the lever and the connecting rod, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

8. In an engine the combination of a cam; distribution valves normally operated thereby; a governor, and connections between the governor and the distribution valves whereby the engine may receive counter steam and be reversed, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a steam engine the combination of a continuous cylinder having a slot in its periphery; a plate mounted upon the shaft,tak ing into the slot, and carrying one or more pistons; one or more resistance plates; grooves in the shank portion of the cylinder sections; a packing in said grooves adapted to be operated by steam pressure, and composed of vjointed segments, and regulating screws adapted to support the packing.

j 10. In a steam engine the combination of a continuous cylinder having a slot in its periphery, a plate mounted upon the shaft taking into the slot and carrying one or more pistons, gooves in the shank portion of the cylinder sections and a packingin the grooves composed of segments and operated in one direction by steam pressure, and wedges securing the segments and adapted to press the packing against its other bearing, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ll. In a steam engine the combination of a continuous cylinder having a slot in its periphery, a plate mounted upon the shaft taking into the slot and carrying one or `more pistons, grooves d in the shank portion of the cylinder sections, a sectional packing d in the grooves, grooves d2 in the sections of the packing, grooves d3 in the shank of the cylinder sections, wedges d4 adapted to take into the grooves d2 and (Z3 and means for actuating the wedges, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

l2. Ina compound engine the combination of two or more continuous piston cylinders, of different form in cross section, having slots in their peripheries; plates mounted on the shaft, taking into the slots, and carrying one or more pistons; retractible resistance plates for each cylinder; and a rock shaft adapted to actuate the resistance plates, the form of the cylinders in cross section being such that the same movement operates the resistance plates in the high and low pressure cylinders, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOI-IN II. EICKERSI-IOFF.

Witnesses:

JAMES N. RAMsEv, BENJAMIN BLOCH. 

